Indexable tubing stabilizer and protector

ABSTRACT

An indexable tubing stabilizer and protector to support a plurality of elongated structures around a portion of production tubing comprising an elongated body, where the elongated body includes a pair of lateral portions and a central portion; a clamp within each lateral portion, where the clamp is C-shaped and envelops the production tubing; a central clamp within the central portion, where the central clamp receives the production tubing; and an opening running along the elongated body, within the pair of lateral portions and the central portion, where the opening receives the plurality of elongated structures to protect them from wear against the production tubing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for the oil and natural gas industry as a way to prevent damage to production tubing and to protect wires and sidestrings that are attached to the production tubing.

2. Description of Related Art

Nonconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs are most economically exploited by using deviated directional/horizontal drilling. As energy prices remain strong, development drilling in existing shale plays will continue and the industry will continue to search for new opportunities in previously unexplored areas. As well, deviated drilling technology continues to be deployed in conventional reservoirs as a means to extract any remaining reserves. While the deviated portion of the well is the primary target market, many times the bands on the vertical portion of the well break due to motion from the rod pump or from repeated pulling and rerunning.

Currently, production tubing is in contact with the production casing in the corners where the well begins to turn away from the vertical. The production casing follows the hole made by the drilling bit but the tubing will follow the straightest path and will be in contact with the well casing where the well bore changes direction thus causing wear and tear from motion caused by the pumping action of the rod pump and other equipment. Additionally tubing is periodically pulled from the well due to the necessity of performing down hole maintenance. If the wires and sidestrings are not supported or protected, it is highly likely they will be damaged in the pulling and re-running process.

There are some devices currently available to support the tubing but they are made of metal thus continuing the wear from motion as previously described. These devices do not prevent the wear and tear caused by motion and they do not protect wires and sidestring from being caught on the casing irregularities during the pulling and re-running operations. Therefore it would be beneficial in the art to provide a non-metallic protective structure that relieves or even eliminates the wear and tear placed upon the sidestrings and electrical wires running along a production tubing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector to support a plurality of elongated structures around a portion of production tubing, configured to include all of the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector that attaches to a portion of production tubing, where the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector receives the sidestrings and electrical wires to guide them and secure them to the tubing.

To achieve the above objects, in an aspect of the present invention, an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector is described comprising an elongated body, where the elongated body includes a pair of lateral portions and a central portion; a clamp within each lateral portion, where the clamp is C-shaped and envelops the production tubing; a central clamp within the central portion, where the central clamp receives the production tubing; and an opening running along the elongated body, within the pair of lateral portions and the central portion, where the opening receives the plurality of elongated structures to protect them from wear against the production tubing.

These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a cross-sectional view of an indexable tubing protector around a production tube in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector around a production tube in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of an indexable casing around a production tube on an alternate axis from FIG. 1 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention relates to a device for the oil and natural gas industry as a way to prevent damage to the well bore casing and production tubing and to protect wires and sidestring tubing that may be attached to the production tubing. The present invention provides an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector attached to a production casing or tubing at various points in a well. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector may hold electrical wires, sidestring tubing or other attachments and protect them from wear and tear as the tubing/casing is placed into or withdrawn from the well. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector may be a field installed snap-on and/or injection molded device which contains grooves in order to provide a passageway of wires and/or stainless steel. The stabilizer enables indexing radially around the tubing, but once locked prevents radial and longitudinal movement. The indexable tubing incorporates centralizers, which are 8″-10″ long steel bands made from steel or poly-type material, about its circumference in order to be held in place.

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, referring to FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view of an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 around a production tube 10 is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 surrounds a production casing 10 and a set of sidestrings and electrical wires 20. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 is an elongated body composed of a pair of lateral portions 110 and a central portion 120 to contain and protect the sidestrings and electrical wires 20 along the production casing 10. The central portion 120 is sandwiched on each side by the lateral portions 110.

Referring now to FIG. 2 a perspective view of the indexable tubing protector 100 is shown around the production tube 10 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 may be a form molded onto the production tube 10. The lateral portion 110 includes a clamp 112 with a tapered end 114. The lateral portion 110 snaps onto the production tube 10, embracing the exterior surface of the tube 10 within the inner surface of the clamp 112. The lateral portions 110 create a C-shaped structure that does not completely circle the tube 10. In FIG. 3 D-D the clamp 112 is illustrated around the tube 10 with the electrical wires 20 fitting securely between the clamp 112 and the exterior surface of the tube 10.

The central portion 120 is a central clamp 122 fitted around the tube 10. Further, the central clamp 122 includes a strap 124 to secure and retain the tube 10 within the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100. FIG. 3 C-C illustrates the central portion 120 around the tube 10 with the strap 124 positioned opposite to the electrical wires 20. The cross sections at C-C and D-D are meant to show there are different structural aspects of the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100. It is slightly smaller in the center to allow for the strap 124 in case a form molded device is not used. The elongated body may include an opening 116 running along its length, through the lateral portions and the central portion, where the opening 116 receives the sidestrings and electrical wires 20. The opening 116 houses the sidestrings and electrical wires 20 to protect them from the wear and tear experienced next to the tubing 10.

The internal portion of the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 may be the size of the outside diameter of the casing while the external portion is smaller than the internal diameter of the casing. In some cases the well casing may be more or less horizontal and the amount of side load weight of the tubulars can be calculated to determine the actual footage spacing that is appropriate between specific stabilizers. It also provides protection once the pipe is in place in the well as there is always a certain amount of movement related to the operation of the downhole pump assembly.

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of an indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 around the tube 10 rotating the view 90 degrees around the x-axis from the view in FIG. 1. Thus, the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 envelops most of the tube 10 to guide and secure the sidestrings and electrical wires 20 that are prone to wear and tear typically encountered on the equipment used in oil rigs and wells. An internal recess 118 is positioned within the lateral portion 110 to secure the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 around the tube 10. The internal recess 118 receives a notch or protrusion on the tube. The recess 118 and notch engage and lock thereby preventing radial and longitudinal movement.

The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 features a snap-on clamp or injection molded clamp which encompasses the casing, tubings electrical wires, and sidestrings used in lateral wells. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 may be molded onto tubings, snapped onto tubings, and/or used as a mold to hold tubings in place within the casing. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 may be adjusted so that the wires attached to the tube 10 remain straight after threaded connection are assembled and tightened. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector 100 varies in size in order to accommodate well casing and tubing diameters, contains rod guides/scrapers available to work inside tubing, reduces maintenance costs, and provides the user with a complete unit rather than having to assemble everything on-site.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An indexable tubing stabilizer and protector to support a plurality of elongated structures around a portion of production tubing comprising: a. an elongated body, where the elongated body includes a pair of lateral portions and a central portion; b. a clamp within each lateral portion, where the clamp is C-shaped and envelops the production tubing; c. a central clamp within the central portion, where the central clamp receives the production tubing; and d. an opening running along the elongated body, within the pair of lateral portions and the central portion, where the opening receives the plurality of elongated structures to protect them from wear against the production tubing.
 2. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 1, where the central clamp includes a strap to secure the central clamp around the production tubing.
 3. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 1, where the elongated structures are sidestrings, and electrical wires.
 4. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 1, where the pair of lateral portions each includes a tapered end.
 5. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 1, where the elongated body is form molded.
 6. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 1, where the lateral portions include an internal recess, where the internal recess receives a notch on the tub to lock the indexable tubing stabilizer and protector in place.
 7. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 1, where the elongated body is bonded to the elongated structure within the central portion at set intervals to axially secure the elongated structure at a set rotation relative to the production tubing centerline of the clamp.
 8. The indexable tubing stabilizer and protector according to claim 8, where the elongated body is bonded either mechanically or chemically. 